Practice summary

Michael specialises in complex financial services work, financial crime and civil fraud, both in the UK and abroad. He acts for corporate and individual clients in major international and UK investigations and for the SFO, FCA, OFT and Lloyd’s of London. He successfully prosecuted the FSA’s first insider dealing case and has prosecuted several insider dealing cases subsequently. He is instructed in the current LIBOR and FOREX investigations on behalf of a major financial institution and in several substantial cross-border corruption investigations. He receives instructions to advise overseas financial regulators and is instructed in overseas cases as an expert in English law. He has a very strong reputation for successfully leading large case teams and is praised for his intellectual capacity and good judgement. He is known for his for his swift response to strategic and tactical issues arising during investigations and for his very thorough case preparation. He is listed as a leader in the fields of Financial Crime (London), Financial Crime (Corporates) and Financial Services in Chambers and Partners and in Banking and Finance and Fraud (Crime) in the Legal 500.

He is asked to speak at seminars on all topics relating to financial crime and financial services. He is a contributing author to “Lissack and Horlick on Bribery” (published 2011) and was a contributing author to the Lexis Nexis financial services book “Financial Services Law & Regulation” published in 2010. He is a member of the editorial board of Blackstone’s Criminal Practice.

Michael is a joint head of Outer Temple Chambers. He took silk in 2001. He sits as a Deputy High Court judge (Queen’s Bench Division) and as a Recorder. He is a Bencher of Middle Temple.

He is noted for his ‘excellent attention to detail’, and for his ability ‘to deal with highly complex matters and present issues clearly and effectively to the jury’. Banking and finance, Legal 500, 2013

At Outer Temple Chambers, Michael Bowes QC is "always calm and in control" and has an excellent reputation for his handling of criminal investigations and prosecutions. He is "highly skilled" at insider dealing cases…Financial Services, Chambers & Partners, 2011

Also present at Outer Temple, Michael Bowes QC is hailed as excellent to work with by instructing solicitors. One enthused: "He’s hard-working, economical, much respected by judges and opponents, and good at keeping the interest up in a case." Bowes excels in complex fraud cases... Fraud, Chambers & Partners, 2011

Michael Bowes QC is highly recommended for financial services and regulatory issues and was recently instructed by the FSA on its first criminal prosecution for insider dealing, R v McQuoid and Melbourne. Banking and finance, Legal 500, 2011